If the UIL state meet was scored differently Houston Strake Jesuit would have won UIL 6A boys state meet
The UIL scores the state track and field meet by only awarding points to the top six places and using a double point system for the relay events.
Many high school track and field coaches in the state are in favor of a drastically different scoring system. Coaches would like to see the current six place scoring be adjusted to scoring eight places at the state meet. Another popular change would be to no longer use double point for the relay events. There are coaches in favor of scoring both the top eight and single scoring for relays and even some who don't want any changes to the scoring system.
Using a different scoring system for the state track and field meet would change the landscape of the sport. It could change the way it is approached by coaches interested in challenging for a team state championship.
We re-scored the 2019 UIL 5A and 6A boys and girls team championships using the eight place scoring system and the single point scoring system for relays. The outcome of the team placing was different because of the different overall scores.
With less of an emphasis or advantage awarded to the relays over the individual events and all places except the ninth place finishers scored points, you can see how this had effects on the state meet outcome compared to the actual scoring system.
While all 2019 and previous years standings are conclusive and final, this rescoring shows how big the effects can be. In just about all classifications for 2019, the team scores and standings were definitely affected.
DeSoto would have still been declared the winner for 6A girls as they could have won the actual state meet without relays and would have still won comfortably. However, with this scoring system they scored significantly less points.
The rest of the top 10 places from the actual 2019 meet saw changes as did the rest of the point scoring teams.
For example, Katy Cinco Ranch scored 26 overall points and finished in fourth place overall in the team standings in the actual 2019 meet. Scoring eight places awarded them more points and rewarded them for their individual event power by giving them 36 total points. Scoring relay events without the double points also took points away from the actual 2019 scoring and that helped catapult Cinco Ranch from fourth a fourth place overall team finish to a second place team finish in our scoring system.
Check out the UIL 5A and 6A re-scoring by MileSplit and see how different and how much of an impact a new scoring system could affect the UIL state meet.